The percussion musical instrument is popular. Percussion musical instruments
Musical instruments. Percussion instruments
So we come to the acquaintance with the most ancient instruments. Tens of thousands of years ago, a man took a stone in both hands and began to knock them against each other. This is how the first percussion instrument appeared. This primitive device, which could not yet give music, but could already produce rhythm, has survived in the everyday life of some peoples to this day: for example, among the natives of Australia, even now two ordinary stones play the role of a percussion instrument.
Percussion is much older than all other instruments: almost all researchers agree that instrumental music began with rhythm, and then melody arose.
There is confirmation of this: during excavations in the village of Mezin near Chernigov, percussion instruments of a rather complex shape were found, made from the jaws, cranial and scapular bones of animals. There were even beaters made from mammoth tusks. A whole ensemble of six instruments, whose age is 20,000 years. Of course, just to hit a stone on a stone, a person guessed even earlier.
The name of this group comes from the method of producing sound - hitting stretched skin or metal plates, wooden bars, etc. But take a closer look, and you will see that in all other respects, drums differ: in shape, size, material, and character sound.
In addition, drums are usually divided into two large groups. The first includes those percussion instruments that have a setting. These are timpani, bells, bells, xylophone, etc. You can play a melody on them, and their sounds, on an equal footing with the voices of other instruments, can enter an orchestral chord or melody.
And the sound of a drum, for example, contains so many unordered frequencies that we cannot associate it with any piano sound, cannot determine whether the drum is tuned to G, E or B. In terms of physics, the drum makes noise, not musical sound. The same can be said about the tambourine, cymbals, castanets. But, despite this seemingly unmusical nature, these instruments are very necessary - some for rhythm, others for various effects and nuances. These are the instruments of the second group, which do not have a certain pitch.
Have you noticed that the drum and timpani, which are very similar to each other, fell into different groups. But there is another system for dividing percussion instruments - into membrane ones (which sound like a stretched skin - a membrane) and self-sounding ones. Here the drum and timpani will fall into the same group, since they have the same sounding element - the membrane. And the cymbals, which, due to an indefinite pitch, were in the same group with the drum, will now fall into another, since their sound is formed by the body of the instrument itself. It is important for us that they play a very important role in music.
Drum- one of the most common percussion instruments. Two types of drum - large and small - have long been part of the symphony and brass bands.
The sound of the drum does not have a certain pitch, so its part is recorded not on a musical staff, but on a “thread” - one line, on which only the rhythm is indicated.
Listening: Bass drum, instrument sound.
The bass drum is played with wooden sticks with soft mallets at the end. They are made from cork or felt.
The big drum sounds powerful. His voice is reminiscent of thunder or cannon shots. Therefore, it is often used for pictorial purposes. For example, in the Sixth Symphony L. Beethoven with his help conveyed the sound of thunder. And in Shostakovich's Eleventh Symphony, the big drum depicts cannon shots.
Listening: L. Beethoven. Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral", IV movement. "Storm".
Listening: Snare drum, instrument sound.
The snare drum has a dry and distinct sound. His fraction emphasizes the rhythm well, sometimes enlivens the music, sometimes brings anxiety. It is played with two sticks.
Many people think that playing the drum is easy. I want to give you an example: when Ravel's Bolero is performed, the snare drum is pushed forward and placed next to the conductor's stand, because in this work Ravel entrusted the drum with a very responsible role. A musician playing the snare drum must maintain the unified rhythm of the Spanish dance without slowing it down or speeding it up. The expression gradually grows, more and more new instruments are added, the drummer is drawn to play a little faster. But this will distort the composer's intention, and the listeners will get a different impression. You see what kind of skill is required from a musician playing such a simple instrument in our understanding. D. Shostakovich even introduced three snare drums into the first part of his Seventh Symphony: they sound ominously in the episode of the fascist invasion.
The drum also once had sinister functions: under its measured fraction, revolutionaries were led to execution, soldiers were driven through the ranks. And now, to the sounds of drums and trumpets, they are marching to the parade. African drums were once a means of communication, like the telegraph. The sound of the drum carries far, it is noticed and used. Signal drummers lived within earshot of each other. As soon as one of them began to transmit the message encoded in the drumbeat, the other received and transmitted to the next. Thus, good or sad news spread over great distances. Over time, the telegraph and telephone made this type of communication unnecessary, but even now in some African countries there are people who know the language of the drum.
Hearing: M. Ravel. "Bolero" (fragment).
Listening: The sound of a drum set.
The composition of a symphony or brass band usually includes two drums - a large and a small one. But in a jazz orchestra or pop ensemble, the drum kit, in addition to these two, includes up to seven more tom-toms. These are also drums, their body looks like an elongated cylinder. Sound character: they are different. The drum kit also includes bongos - two small drums, one slightly larger than the other. They are combined into a single pair and played on them most often with the hands. Congas can also enter the installation - their body narrows: downwards, and the skin is stretched only on one side.
Listening: Timpani. The sound of the instrument.
timpani- also a mandatory member of the symphony orchestra. This is a very ancient musical instrument. Many peoples have long had tools consisting of a hollow vessel, the opening of which is covered with leather. It is from them that modern timpani originated. Their role is so important that some conductors on tour carry their timpani player with them.
The timpani has a huge range of sound strength: from imitation: peals of thunder to a quiet, barely perceptible rustle or hum. They are more complex than a drum. They have a metal case in the form of a boiler. The body has certain, strictly calculated dimensions, which allows you to achieve a strict pitch. Therefore, the composer can write notes for the timpani. The body is of different sizes, and hence the sound of different heights. And if there are three timpani in the orchestra, then there are already three notes. But this instrument can be tuned to several sounds. Then even a small scale is obtained.
Previously, the restructuring of the timpani took some time. And every composer knew: if a sound of a different pitch is required, it is necessary to give the timpani player time to tighten the screws and rebuild the instrument. In the middle of the XIX century. musical masters have equipped the timpani with a special mechanism that rebuilds the timpani by simply pressing the pedal. Now the timpani players have a new quality - small melodies have become available to them.
In ancient times, any war was literally not conceived without drums, timpani, pipes. One Englishman said: “Usually they try to make the army powerless by cutting it off from food; I advise, if we ever have a war with the French, to break through as many drums as possible for them.
Timpanists and drummers enjoyed great prestige. They had to be very brave, because they were at the head of the army. The main trophy in any battle was, of course, the banner. But the timpani was also a kind of symbol. Therefore, the musician was ready to die, but not to give up with the timpani.
Hearing: Poulenc. Concerto for organ, timpani and symphony. orchestra (fragment).
Listening: Xylophone, instrument range.
Word xylophone can be translated from Greek as "sounding tree". It fits surprisingly well with a musical instrument made of wooden blocks played with two wooden sticks.
To get the usual scale from wood, it is specially processed. Bars of different sizes are cut out of maple, spruce, walnut or rosewood, and the size is selected so that each bar makes a sound of a strictly defined height when struck. They are arranged in the same order as the keys of a piano, and fastened together with laces at some distance from each other.
Listening: Mozart. "Serenade" (xylophone).
Listening: Marimba, instrument range.
Marimba. Type of xylophone marimba.
These are the same wooden blocks, but in the marimba they are equipped with metal tubes - resonators. This makes the marimba sound softer, not as snappy as a xylophone.
Marimba comes from Africa, where it still exists today. But the African marimba does not have metal resonators, but pumpkin ones.
Hearing: Albeniz. "Asturias" from the "Spanish Suite" in Spanish. T. Cheremukhina (marimba).
Listening: Vibraphone, instrument range.
The device of another percussion instrument is interesting - vibraphone. As the name implies, it gives a vibrating sound. His sounding elements are not made of wood, but of metal. Under each metal plate is a resonator tube, like a marimba. The upper openings of the tubes are covered with caps that can rotate, either opening or closing the hole. Frequent movement of the caps gives the effect of sound vibration. The higher the speed of rotation of the covers, the more frequent the vibration. Now electric motors are installed on vibraphones. The xylophone and marimba came to us from time immemorial, and the vibraphone is a very young instrument. It was created in America in the twenties of the twentieth century.
Hearing: Celesta, instrument range.
Celesta. Half a century older than the celesta vibraphone, invented in 1886 in France. Outwardly, the celesta is a small piano. The keyboard is also piano, the same hammer system. Only instead of strings in the celesta, metal plates are inserted into wooden resonator boxes. The sound of the celesta is quiet, but very beautiful and gentle. It is no coincidence that she was given such a name: celesta in Latin - “Heavenly”.
Listening: J. Bach. Joke (celesta).
These instruments - xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and celesta - are polyphonic, they can play a melody.
In 1874, the French composer Saint-Saens wrote a work that he called "Dance of Death". When it was performed for the first time, some listeners were seized with horror: they heard the sound of bones, as if Death was really dancing - a terrible skeleton with a skull looking out of empty eye sockets, with a scythe in her hands. The composer achieved this effect using a xylophone.
The family of percussion instruments is very diverse and numerous. Let's just list some other drums...
Listening: Bells, the sound of an instrument.
bells- a set of metal tubes of different lengths suspended in a special frame.
Hearing: Glockenspiel (orchestral bells), the sound of the instrument.
bells- very similar to a toy metallophone, only it has more plates and the plates themselves are more harmonious.
Listening: Cymbals, instrument sound.
Everyone is well known dishes.
Listening: Gong, the sound of an instrument.
Gong- a large massive disk with curved edges, which, like no other, can create the impression of mystery, darkness, horror;
Hearing: There-there, the sound of the instrument.
A type of gong that has a certain pitch there-there, not customizable exactly.
Listening: Triangle, the sound of an instrument.
Triangle- a steel twig, curved in a triangle, when struck by a metal rod, it emits a transparent, gentle, pleasant sound. The list of percussion instruments goes on and on.
Questions and tasks:
- Which of the percussion instruments is the oldest and which is the youngest?
- List as many percussion instruments as possible.
- What is a membrane?
- What groups and on what basis are percussion instruments divided?
- Name percussion instruments that have a certain pitch.
Presentation
Included:
1. Presentation - 33 slides, ppsx;
2. Sounds of music:
Bass drum, instrument sound, mp3;
Snare drum, instrument sound, mp3;
The sound of a drum set, mp3;
Timpani, instrument sound, mp3;
Xylophone, instrument range, mp3;
Marimba, instrument range, mp3;
Vibraphone, instrument range, mp3;
Celesta, instrument range, mp3;
Bells, instrument sound, mp3;
Glockenspiel (orchestral bells), sound of the instrument, mp3;
Cymbals, instrument sound, mp3;
Gong, instrument sound, mp3;
Tam-tam, sound of the instrument, mp3;
Triangle, instrument sound, mp3;
Beethoven. Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral", IV movement. "Thunderstorm", mp3;
Ravel. "Bolero" (fragment), mp3;
Poulenc. Concerto for organ, timpani and symphony. orchestra (fragment), mp3;
Mozart. "Serenade" (xylophone), mp3;
Albeniz. "Asturias" from the "Spanish Suite", in Spanish. T. Cheremukhina (marimba), mp3;
Bach. Joke (celesta), mp3;
3. Accompanying article, docx.
Music surrounds us from childhood. And then we have the first musical instruments. Do you remember your first drum or tambourine? And the shiny metallophone, on the records of which you had to knock with a wooden stick? And the pipes with holes on the side? With a certain skill, one could even play simple melodies on them.
Toy instruments are the first step into the world of real music. Now you can buy a variety of musical toys: from simple drums and harmonicas to almost real pianos and synthesizers. Do you think these are just toys? Not at all: in the preparatory classes of music schools, entire noise orchestras are made up of such toys, in which the kids selflessly blow the pipes, beat the drums and tambourines, spur the rhythm with maracas and play the first songs on the xylophone ... And this is their first real step into the world music.
Types of musical instruments
The world of music has its own order and classification. Tools are divided into large groups: strings, keyboards, percussion, brass, and also reed. Which of them appeared earlier, which later, it is now difficult to say for sure. But already the ancient people who shot from a bow noticed that a stretched bowstring sounds, reed tubes, if blown into them, make whistling sounds, and it is convenient to beat the rhythm on any surface with all available means. These items became the progenitors of stringed, wind and percussion instruments already known in ancient Greece. Reeds appeared just as long ago, but keyboards were invented a little later. Let's take a look at these main groups.
Brass
In wind instruments, sound is produced as a result of vibrations of a column of air enclosed inside a tube. The larger the volume of air, the lower the sound it makes.
Wind instruments are divided into two large groups: wooden And copper. Wooden - flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, alpine horn ... - are a straight tube with side holes. By closing or opening the holes with the fingers, the musician can shorten the column of air and change the pitch. Modern instruments are often made not from wood, but from other materials, however, according to tradition, they are called wooden.
Copper brass sets the tone for any orchestra, from brass to symphony. Trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba, helicon, a whole family of saxhorns (baritone, tenor, alto) are typical representatives of this loudest group of instruments. Later came the saxophone, the king of jazz.
The pitch of the brass winds changes due to the force of the blown air and the position of the lips. Without additional valves, such a pipe can produce only a limited number of sounds - a natural scale. To expand the range of sound and the ability to hit all sounds, a system of valves was invented - valves that change the height of the air column (like side holes on wooden ones). Copper pipes that are too long, unlike wooden pipes, can be rolled up, giving them a more compact shape. French horn, tuba, helicon are examples of coiled trumpets.
Strings
The bowstring can be considered the prototype of stringed instruments - one of the most important groups of any orchestra. The sound is produced by a vibrating string. To amplify the sound, the strings began to be pulled over the hollow body - this is how the lute and mandolin, cymbals, harp ... and the familiar guitar appeared.
The string group is divided into two main subgroups: bowed And plucked tools. Bowed violins include violins of all varieties: violins, violas, cellos and huge double basses. The sound from them is extracted with a bow, which is driven along the stretched strings. But for plucked strings, a bow is not needed: the musician pinches the string with his fingers, causing it to vibrate. Guitar, balalaika, lute - plucked instruments. As well as the beautiful harp that makes such gentle cooing sounds. But the double bass - a bowed or plucked instrument? Formally, it belongs to the bowed, but often, especially in jazz, it is played with plucks.
Keyboards
If the fingers striking the strings are replaced by hammers, and the hammers are set in motion with the help of keys, we get keyboards tools. First keyboards - clavichords and harpsichords appeared in the Middle Ages. They sounded rather quiet, but very gentle and romantic. And at the beginning of the 18th century, they invented piano- an instrument that could be played both loudly (forte) and softly (piano). The long name is usually shortened to the more familiar "piano". The older brother of the piano - what's the brother - the king! - that's what it's called: piano. This is no longer a tool for small apartments, but for concert halls.
Keyboards include the largest - and one of the most ancient! - musical instruments: organ. This is no longer a percussion keyboard, like a piano and a grand piano, but keyboard wind instrument: not the lungs of the musician, but the blower machine creates a flow of air into the tube system. This huge system is controlled by a complex control panel, which has everything from a manual (that is, manual) keyboard to pedals and register switches. And how could it be otherwise: organs consist of tens of thousands of individual tubes of various sizes! But their range is huge: each tube can sound only on one note, but when there are thousands of them ...
Drums
Percussion instruments were the oldest musical instruments. It was the tapping of rhythm that was the first prehistoric music. The sound can be produced by a stretched membrane (drum, tambourine, oriental darbuka...) or the body of the instrument itself: triangles, cymbals, gongs, castanets and other knockers and rattles. A special group is made up of drums that produce a sound of a certain height: timpani, bells, xylophones. You can already play a melody on them. Percussion ensembles, consisting only of percussion instruments, arrange entire concerts!
Reed
Is there any other way to extract sound? Can. If one end of a plate made of wood or metal is fixed, and the other is left free and forced to oscillate, then we get the simplest tongue - the basis of reed instruments. If there is only one tongue, we get jew's harp. Linguistics include accordions, bayans, accordions and their miniature model - harmonica.
harmonica
On the button accordion and accordion you can see the keys, so they are considered both keyboards and reeds. Some wind instruments are also reeded: for example, in the clarinet and bassoon already familiar to us, the reed is hidden inside the pipe. Therefore, the division of tools into these types is conditional: there are many tools mixed type.
In the 20th century, the friendly musical family was replenished with another large family: electronic instruments. The sound in them is created artificially using electronic circuits, and the first example was the legendary theremin, created back in 1919. Electronic synthesizers can imitate the sound of any instrument and even... play themselves. Unless, of course, someone will make a program. :)
The division of instruments into these groups is just one way of classifying them. There are many others: for example, the Chinese combined tools depending on the material from which they were made: wood, metal, silk and even stone... The methods of classification are not so important. It is much more important to be able to recognize instruments both in appearance and in sound. This is what we will learn.
Percussion instruments, the names and descriptions of which are presented in this article, arose earlier than other musical instruments. They were used in ancient times by the peoples of the Middle East and the African continent to accompany warlike and religious dances and dances. Percussion instruments, whose names are numerous, as well as their types, are very common today, not a single ensemble can do without them. These include those in which the sound is extracted with the help of a blow.
Classification
According to their musical qualities, that is, according to the possibility of extracting sounds of one or another pitch, all types of percussion instruments can be divided into 2 groups, the names of which are presented in this article: with an indefinite pitch (cymbals, drums, etc.) and with a certain pitch ( xylophone, timpani). They are also divided depending on the type of vibrator (sounding body) into self-sounding (castanets, triangles, cymbals, etc.), lamellar (bells, vibraphones, xylophones, etc.) and webbed (tambourine, drums, timpani, etc.).
Now you know what types of percussion instruments exist. Let's say a few words about what determines the timbre and loudness of their sound.
What determines the volume and timbre of the sound
The loudness of their sound is determined by the amplitude of the vibrations of the sounding body, that is, the force of impact, as well as the size of the sounding body. Amplifying the sound in some instruments is achieved by adding resonators. The timbre that certain types of percussion instruments have depends on many factors. The main ones are the method of impact, the material from which the instrument is made, and the shape of the sounding body.
Webbed percussion instruments
The sounding body in them is a membrane or stretched membrane. These include percussion instruments, whose names are: tambourine, drums, timpani, etc.
timpani
The timpani is an instrument with a certain pitch, which has a metal body in the shape of a cauldron. A membrane made of tanned leather is stretched across the top of this cauldron. A special membrane made of polymeric materials is currently used as a membrane. It is fixed on the body with tension screws and a hoop. Screws located around the circumference release or tighten it. The percussion instrument of the timpani is tuned as follows: if the membrane is pulled, the system becomes higher, and if it is lowered, it will be lower. In order not to interfere with the membrane to vibrate freely, there is a hole at the bottom for air movement. The body of this tool is made of brass, copper or aluminum. Timpani are mounted on a tripod - a special stand.
This instrument is used in an orchestra in a set of 2, 3, 4 or more cauldrons of different sizes. From 550 to 700 mm is the diameter of modern timpani. There are the following types of them: pedal, mechanical and screw. Pedal ones are the most common, since you can rebuild the instrument to the desired key without interrupting the game by pressing the pedal. In timpani, the sound volume is approximately equal to a fifth. Below all the others, a large timpani is tuned.
Tulumbas
Tulumbas is an ancient percussion instrument (a genus of timpani). He served in the XVII-XVIII century in the army, where he was used to give alarms. In shape, this is a pot-shaped resonator. This ancient percussion instrument (kind of timpani) can be made of metal, clay or wood. The top is lined with leather. This design is beaten with wooden bats. A dull sound is produced, somewhat reminiscent of a shot of cannons.
drums
We continue to describe percussion instruments, the names of which were listed at the beginning of the article. Drums have an indefinite pitch. These include various percussion instruments. The names listed below all refer to drums (various varieties). There are large and small orchestral drums, large and small pop drums, as well as bongos, tom-bass and tom-tenor.
A large orchestral drum has a cylindrical body, covered with plastic or leather on both sides. It is characterized by a deaf, low, powerful sound, extracted by a wooden mallet with a tip in the form of a ball of felt or felt. For drum membranes, today they began to use a polymer film instead of parchment skin. It has the best musical and acoustic properties and higher durability. At the drums, the membranes are fixed with tension screws and two rims. The body of this instrument is made of plywood or sheet steel and lined with artistic celluloid. It has dimensions of 680x365 mm. The large pop drum has a design and shape similar to that of an orchestral drum. Its dimensions are 580x350 mm.
The small orchestral drum is a low cylinder covered with plastic or leather on both sides. The membranes (membranes) are attached to the body with the help of coupling screws and two rims. To give the instrument a specific sound, special strings or stringers (spirals) are stretched over the lower membrane. They are driven by a reset mechanism. The use of synthetic membranes in drums made it possible to significantly improve the reliability of operation, musical and acoustic characteristics, presentation and service life. The small orchestral drum has dimensions of 340x170 mm. He is included in the symphony and military brass bands. The small pop drum has a device similar to an orchestral one. Its dimensions are 356x118 mm.
Tom-tom-bass drums and tom-tom-tenor drums do not differ in their device. They are used in drum sets. The tenor tom is attached to the bass drum with a bracket. Tom-tom-bass is installed on a special stand on the floor.
Bongs are drums that are small in size, with plastic or leather stretched on one side. They are included in the drum set. Bongs are interconnected with adapters.
As you can see, many percussion instruments are related to drums. The names listed above can be supplemented by including some less popular varieties.
Tambourine
A tambourine is a shell (hoop), on one side of which plastic or leather is stretched. Special slots are made in the body of the hoop. Brass plates are reinforced in them, they look like small orchestral cymbals. Inside the hoop, sometimes small rings, bells are strung on spirals or on stretched strings. All this tinkles at the slightest touch to the tambourine, creating a special sound. The membrane is struck with the palm of the right hand (its base) or with the fingertips.
Tambourines are used to accompany songs and dances. In the East, the art of playing this instrument has reached virtuosity. Solo playing on the tambourine is also common here. Dyaf, def or gaval is an Azerbaijani tambourine, haval or daf is Armenian, daira is Georgian, doira is Tajik and Uzbek.
Plate percussion instruments
We continue to describe percussion musical instruments. Photos and names of plate drums are presented below. Such instruments, which have a certain pitch, include xylophone, marimba (marimbafon), metallophone, bells, bells, vibraphone.
Xylophone
A xylophone is a set of wooden blocks of various sizes that correspond to sounds of different pitches. The bars are made from rosewood, spruce, walnut, maple. They are placed in parallel in 4 rows, following the order of the chromatic scale. These bars are attached to strong laces, and are also separated by springs. A cord passes through the holes made in the bars. A xylophone for playing is laid out on a table on rubber share pads, which are located along the cords of this instrument. It is played with two wooden sticks with a thickening at the end. This instrument is used for playing in an orchestra or for solo playing.
Metallophone and marimba
The metallophone and marimba are also percussion instruments. Do the photos and their names mean anything to you? We invite you to get to know them better.
The metallophone is a musical instrument similar to the xylophone, but its sound plates are made of metal (bronze or brass). His photo is presented below.
Marimba (marimbafon) is an instrument whose sounding elements are wooden plates. It also has metal tubular resonators to enhance the sound.
Marimba has a juicy, soft timbre. Its sound range is 4 octaves. The playing plates of this instrument are made of rosewood. This ensures good musical and acoustic characteristics of this instrument. Plates are arranged in 2 rows on the frame. In the first row - plates of basic tones, and in the second - semitones. Resonators installed in 2 rows on the frame are tuned to the sound frequency of their respective plates. A photo of this tool is presented below.
The main knots of the marimba are fixed on the support trolley. The frame of this cart is made of aluminium. This provides sufficient strength and minimum weight. Marimba is used both for educational purposes and for professional play.
vibraphone
This instrument is a set of aluminum plates, chromatically tuned, which are arranged in 2 rows, similar to a piano keyboard. Plates are installed on a high table (bed) and fastened with laces. In the center under each of them are cylindrical resonators of a certain size. Through them pass in the upper part of the axis, on which fan fans (impellers) are fixed. This is how vibration is achieved. Damper device has this tool. It is connected under the bed to the pedal so that you can muffle the sound with your foot. The vibraphone is played with 2, 3, 4, and sometimes a large number of long sticks with rubber balls at the ends. This instrument is used in a symphony orchestra, but more often - in a pop or as a solo instrument. His photo is presented below.
bells
What percussion instruments can be used to play bell ringing in an orchestra? The correct answer is bells. This is a set of percussion instruments used in symphony and opera orchestras for this purpose. Bells consist of a set (from 12 to 18 pieces) of cylindrical pipes, which are tuned chromatically. Usually pipes are chrome-plated steel or nickel-plated brass. Their diameter is from 25 to 38 mm. They are hung on a special frame-rack, the height of which is about 2 m. Sound is extracted by striking the pipes with a wooden hammer. The bells are equipped with a special device (pedal-damper) for muffling the sound.
bells
This is a percussion instrument consisting of 23-25 metal plates tuned chromatically. They are placed in steps in 2 rows on a flat box. The black keys of the piano correspond to the top row, and the white keys to the bottom row.
Self-sounding percussion instruments
Talking about what kind of percussion instruments are (names and types), one cannot fail to mention self-sounding percussion instruments. This type includes the following instruments: cymbals, tom-toms, triangles, rattles, maracas, castanets, etc.
Dishes
Cymbals are metal discs made of nickel silver or brass. A somewhat spherical shape is given to the disks of the cymbals. Leather straps are attached to the center. A long ringing sound is emitted when they hit each other. Sometimes one plate is used. Then the sound is extracted by blowing a metal brush or stick. Orchestral cymbals, gong cymbals and Charleston cymbals are produced. They sound loud and harsh.
Let's talk about what other percussion instruments are. Photos with names and descriptions will help you get to know them better.
Triangle orchestral
The orchestral triangle (its photo is presented below) is a steel bar of an open triangular shape. This instrument is suspended freely when played and then struck with a metal stick, while performing various rhythmic patterns. A ringing, bright sound has a triangle. It is used in various ensembles and orchestras. Triangles are produced with two sticks made of steel.
The gong or tam-tam is a bronze disc with curved edges. A beater with a felt tip is struck in its center. It turns out a gloomy, thick and deep sound, reaching full strength gradually, not immediately after the impact.
Castanets and maracas
Castanets (a photo of them is presented below) is a folk instrument of Spain. This ancient percussion instrument is shaped like shells tied with a cord. One of them faces the spherical (concave) side to the other. They are made from plastic or hard wood. Castanets are available as single or double castanets.
Maracas are plastic or wood balls filled with shot (small pieces of metal) and decorated colorfully on the outside. They are equipped with a handle to make them comfortable to hold during the game. Various rhythmic patterns can be played by shaking the maracas. They are used mainly in pop ensembles, but sometimes in orchestras.
Rattles are sets of small plates mounted on a wooden plate.
These are the main names of percussion musical instruments. Of course, there are many more of them. We talked about the most famous and popular.
Drum kit, which has a variety ensemble
In order to have a complete picture of this group of instruments, it is also necessary to know the composition of percussion kits (installations). The most common is the following composition: bass and snare drum, large and small single cymbal, paired cymbal hei-hat (“Charleston”), bongos, tom-tom alto, tom-tom tenor and tom-tom-bass.
A large drum is installed on the floor in front of the performer, for stability it has resistant legs. The tom-tom alto and tom-tom tenor drums can be fixed on the top of the drum with the help of brackets. It also provides an additional stand, on which an orchestral cymbal is fixed. Mounting on the bass drum tom-tom alto and tom-tom tenor brackets adjust their height.
The mechanical pedal is an integral part of the bass drum. The performer uses it to extract sound from this musical instrument. Be sure to include a small pop drum in the drum set. It is fastened with three clamps on a special stand: one retractable and two folding. The stand is installed on the floor. This is a stand, which is equipped for fixing in a certain position, as well as changing the inclination of the snare drum with a locking device.
The snare drum has a muffler and a reset device that are used to adjust the tone. Also, a drum kit sometimes includes several tom-tom tenors, tom-tom altos and tom-tom drums, of different sizes.
Also, the drum kit (its photo is presented below) includes orchestral cymbals with a stand, a chair and a mechanical stand for the Charleston. Maracas, triangles, castanets and other noise instruments are companion instruments of this setup.
Spare parts and accessories
Spare accessories and parts of percussion instruments include: stands for orchestral cymbals, for a snare drum, for Charleston cymbals, timpani sticks, a mechanical mallet for a drum (large), sticks for a snare drum, pop drumsticks, orchestral brushes, beaters and leather for bass drum, straps, cases.
Percussion instruments
It is necessary to distinguish between percussion and percussion instruments. Percussion instruments include piano and grand piano. The strings of a piano are arranged horizontally and are struck by a hammer from the bottom up. The piano differs in that the hammer strikes in the direction away from the player on the strings forward. The strings are stretched in a vertical plane. Due to the richness of sounds in terms of strength and height, as well as the great possibilities of these instruments, the grand piano and piano have received a common name. Both instruments can be called in one word - "piano". The piano is a stringed percussion instrument by the method of producing sound.
The keyboard mechanism used in it is a system of levers interconnected, which serves to transfer the energy of the pianist's fingers to the strings. It consists of mechanics and keyboard. The keyboard is a set of keys, the number of which may vary depending on the sound range of an instrument. The keys are usually lined with plastic overlays. Then they are mounted on the keyboard frame with the help of pins. Each of the keys has lead seals, a pilot, a primer and an overlay. It transmits, as a lever of the first kind, the pianist's effort on the mechanical figure. Mechanics are hammer mechanisms that convert the musician's effort when pressing a key into a blow to the hammer strings. Hammers are made of hornbeam or maple, their head is covered with felt.
Percussion musical instruments appeared before all other musical instruments. In ancient times, percussion instruments were used by the peoples of the African continent and the Middle East to accompany religious and martial dances and dances.
These days, percussion instruments are very common, as no ensemble can do without them.
Percussion instruments are instruments whose sound is produced by striking. According to their musical qualities, i.e., the possibility of obtaining sounds of a certain pitch, all percussion instruments are divided into two types: with a certain pitch (timpani, xylophone) and with an indefinite pitch (drums, cymbals, etc.).
Depending on the type of sounding body (vibrator), percussion instruments are divided into webbed (timpani, drums, tambourine, etc.), lamellar (xylophones, vibraphones, bells, etc.), self-sounding (cymbals, triangles, castanets, etc.).
The loudness of the sound of a percussion instrument is determined by the size of the sounding body and the amplitude of its vibrations, i.e., the force of impact. In some instruments, amplification of the sound is achieved by adding resonators. The timbre of the sound of percussion instruments depends on many factors, the main of which are the shape of the sounding body, the material from which the instrument is made, and the method of impact.
Webbed percussion instruments
In webbed percussion instruments, the sounding body is a stretched membrane or membrane. These include timpani, drums, tambourine, etc.
timpani- an instrument with a certain pitch, having a metal body in the form of a cauldron, in the upper part of which a membrane of well-dressed leather is stretched. Currently, a special membrane made of high-strength polymeric materials is used as a membrane.
The membrane is attached to the body with a hoop and tension screws. These screws, located around the circumference, tighten or release the membrane. Thus, the timpani is tuned: if the membrane is pulled, the system will be higher, and, conversely, if the membrane is released, the system will be lower. In order not to interfere with the free vibration of the membrane in the center of the boiler, there is a hole at the bottom for air movement.
The body of the timpani is made of copper, brass or aluminum, mounted on a tripod stand.
In an orchestra, timpani are used in a set of two, three, four or more cauldrons of various sizes. The diameter of modern timpani is from 550 to 700 mm.
There are screw, mechanical and pedal timpani. Pedal ones are the most common, since with one click on the pedal, you can rebuild the instrument to the desired key without interrupting the game.
The sound volume of the timpani is about a fifth. The big timpani is tuned lower than all the others. The sound range of the instrument is from the F of a large octave to a small octave. The middle timpani has a range of sound from B of a large octave to F of a small octave. Small timpani - from D small octave to la small octave.
drums- Instruments with an indefinite pitch. There are small and large orchestral drums, small and large pop drums, tom-tenor, tom-bass, bongos.
A large orchestral drum is a cylindrical body covered on both sides with leather or plastic. The big drum has a powerful, low and hollow sound, which is played with a wooden mallet with a ball-shaped tip made of felt or felt. At present, instead of expensive parchment skin, a polymer film has been used for drum membranes, which has higher strength indicators and better musical and acoustic properties.
The membranes at the drums are fixed with two rims and tension screws located around the circumference of the tool body. The body of the drum is made of sheet steel or plywood, lined with artistic celluloid. Dimensions 680x365 mm.
The large pop drum has a shape and design similar to the orchestra drum. Its dimensions are 580x350 mm.
The small orchestral drum has the appearance of a low cylinder covered on both sides with leather or plastic. The membranes (webs) are attached to the body with two rims and pinch screws.
To give the drum a specific sound, special strings or spirals (stringer) are pulled over the lower membrane, which are driven by a reset mechanism.
The use of synthetic membranes in drums has significantly improved their musical and acoustic capabilities, operational reliability, service life and presentation. The dimensions of the small orchestral drum are 340x170 mm.
Small orchestral drums are included in military brass bands, they are also used in symphony orchestras.
The small variety drum has the same device as the orchestral one. Its dimensions are 356x118 mm.
The tom-tom-tenor drum and the tom-tom-bass drum do not differ in design and are used in pop drum kits. The tom-tenor drum is attached with a bracket to the bass drum, the tom-tom-bass drum is installed on the floor on a special stand.
Bongs are small drums with leather or plastic stretched on one side. They are part of the pop drum set. Between themselves, the bongs are connected by adapters.
Tambourine- is a hoop (shell), in which leather or plastic is stretched on one side. Special slots are made in the body of the hoop, in which brass plates are fixed, looking like small orchestral cymbals. Sometimes, even inside the hoop, small bells and rings are strung on stretched strings or spirals. All this from the slightest touch to the instrument tinkles, creating a peculiar sound. Impacts on the membrane are made with the ends of the fingers or the base of the palm of the right hand.
Tambourines are used for rhythmic accompaniment of dances and songs. In the East, where the art of playing the tambourine has reached virtuosity, solo playing on this instrument is common. The Azerbaijani tambourine is called def, dyaf or gaval, Armenian - daf or haval, Georgian - daira, Uzbek and Tajik - doira.
Plate percussion instruments
Plate percussion instruments with a certain pitch include xylophone, metallophone, marim-bafon (marimba), vibraphone, bells, bells.
Xylophone- is a set of wooden blocks of different sizes, corresponding to sounds of different heights. Bars are made of rosewood, maple, walnut, spruce. They are arranged in parallel in four rows in the order of the chromatic scale. The bars are fastened on strong laces and separated by springs. The cord passes through the holes in the bars. To play, the xylophone is laid out on a small table on the share rubber pads located along the cords of the instrument.
The xylophone is played with two wooden sticks with a thickened end. The xylophone is used both for solo playing and in the orchestra.
The range of the xylophone is from the small octave to the fourth octave.
Metallophones are similar to xylophones, only the sound plates are made of metal (brass or bronze).
Marimbafons (marimba) is a percussion musical instrument, the sounding elements of which are wooden plates, and to enhance the sound, tubular metal resonators are installed on it.
Marimba has a soft, juicy timbre, has a sound range of four octaves: from a note to a small octave to a note to the fourth octave.
Playing plates are made of rosewood wood, which provides high musical and acoustic properties of the instrument. The plates are arranged on the frame in two rows. The first row contains the fundamental tone plates, the second row contains the semitone plates. Resonators mounted on a frame in two rows (metal tubes with plugs) are tuned to the sound frequency of the corresponding plates.
The main components of the marimba are fixed on a support trolley with wheels, the frame of which is made of aluminum, which ensures minimum weight and sufficient strength.
Marimba can be used both by professional musicians and for educational purposes.
vibraphone is a set of chromatically tuned aluminum plates arranged in two rows similar to a piano keyboard. The plates are mounted on a high frame (table) and fastened with laces. Under each plate in the center are cylindrical resonators of the appropriate size. Axes pass through all the resonators in the upper part, on which fan impellers - fans are mounted. A portable silent electric motor is mounted on the side of the bed, which rotates the impellers evenly throughout the entire playing of the instrument. Thus, vibration is achieved. The instrument has a damper device connected to the pedal under the bed to dampen the sound with the foot. The vibraphone is played with two, three, four sometimes longer sticks with rubber balls at the ends.
The range of the vibraphone is from F of a small octave to F of the third octave, or from to the first octave to the third octave.
The vibraphone is used in a symphony orchestra, but more often in a variety orchestra or as a solo instrument.
bells- a set of percussion instruments that are used in opera and symphony orchestras to imitate bell ringing. The bell consists of a set of 12 to 18 cylindrical pipes tuned chromatically. Pipes are usually nickel-plated brass or chrome-plated steel with a diameter of 25-38 mm. They are hung in a rack frame about 2 m high. The sound is extracted by hitting the pipes with a wooden hammer. The bells are equipped with a pedal-damper device for muffling the sound. The range of bells is 1-11/2 octaves, usually from F to a large octave.
bells- a percussion musical instrument, which consists of 23-25 chromatically tuned metal plates placed in a flat box in two rows in steps. The top row corresponds to black and the bottom row to white piano keys.
The sound range of the bells is equal to two octaves: from a note to the first octave to a note to the third octave, and depends on the number of plates.
Self-sounding percussion instruments
Self-sounding percussion instruments include: cymbals, triangles, tam-tam, castanets, maracas, rattles, etc.
Dishes are metal discs made of brass or nickel silver. The discs of the cymbals are given a somewhat spherical shape, leather straps are attached to the center.
When the cymbals hit each other, a long ringing sound is produced. Sometimes one cymbal is used and the sound is extracted by hitting a stick or a metal brush. Orchestral cymbals, Charleston cymbals, gong cymbals are produced. Cymbals sound sharply, ringing.
Triangle orchestral is a steel bar, which is given an open triangular shape. When playing, the triangle is freely suspended and hit with a metal stick, performing various rhythmic patterns.
The sound of the triangle is bright, ringing. The triangle is used in various orchestras and ensembles. Orchestral triangles with two steel sticks are produced.
There-there or gong- a bronze disk with curved edges, the center of which is struck with a mallet with a felt tip, the sound of the gong is deep, thick and gloomy, does not reach full strength immediately after the blow, but gradually.
Castanets- in Spain they are a folk instrument. Castanets have the form of shells facing one another with a concave (spherical) side and connected with a cord. They are made from hardwood and plastic. Double and single castanets are produced.
maracas- balls made of wood or plastic, filled with a small amount of small pieces of metal (shot), maracas are colorfully decorated on the outside. For ease of holding during the game, they are equipped with a handle.
By shaking the maracas, various rhythmic patterns are reproduced.
Maracas are used in orchestras, but more often in pop ensembles.
rattles are sets of small plates mounted on a wooden plate.
Variety drum set ensemble
For a complete study of a group of percussion musical instruments, a specialist involved in their implementation needs to know the composition of drum kits (sets). The following composition of drum kits is most common: bass drum, snare drum, double cymbal "Charleston" (hey-hat), single large cymbal, single small cymbal, bongos, tom-tom bass, tom-tom tenor, tom-tom alto.
Directly in front of the performer, a large drum is installed on the floor, it has resistant legs for stability. On top of the drum, with the help of brackets, tom-tom tenor and tom-tom alto drums can be fixed; additionally, a stand for an orchestral plate is provided on the bass drum. The brackets that secure the tenor tom-tom and alto tom-tom to the bass drum adjust their height.
An integral part of the bass drum is a mechanical pedal, with which the performer extracts sound from the drum.
The composition of the drum set necessarily includes a small pop drum, which is mounted on a special stand with three clamps: two folding and one retractable. The stand is installed on the floor; it is a stand equipped with a locking device for fixing in a given position and adjusting the inclination of the snare drum.
The snare drum has a reset device, as well as a silencer, which are used to adjust the timbre of the sound.
A drum kit may include several tom-tom drums of different sizes, tom-tom altos and tom-tom tenors at the same time. The tom-tom bass is mounted on the right side of the performer and has feet with which you can adjust the height of the instrument.
The bong drums included in the drum kit are placed on a separate stand.
The drum kit also includes orchestral cymbals with a stand, a mechanical Charleston cymbal stand, and a chair.
Accompanying drum kit instruments are maracas, castanets, triangles, and other noise instruments.
Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments
Spare parts and accessories for percussion instruments include: stands for snare drums, stands for orchestral cymbals, mechanical pedal stand for orchestral cymbals "Charleston", mechanical beater for bass drum, timpani sticks, sticks for snare drums, variety drum sticks, orchestral brushes, bass drum beaters, bass drum leather, straps, cases.
In percussion musical instruments, sound is produced by striking a device or individual parts of the instrument against each other.
Percussion instruments are divided into membrane, lamellar, self-sounding.
Membrane instruments include instruments in which the sound source is a stretched membrane (timpani, drums), the sound is extracted by hitting the membrane with some device (for example, a mallet). In lamellar instruments (xylophones, etc.), wooden or metal plates, bars are used as a sounding body.
In self-sounding instruments (cymbals, castanets, etc.), the sound source is the instrument itself or its body.
Percussion musical instruments are instruments whose sounding bodies are excited by blows or shaking.
According to the sound source, percussion instruments are divided into:
Plate - in them, the sound source is wooden and metal plates, bars or tubes, on which the musician strikes with sticks (xylophone, metallophone, bells);
Webbed - a stretched membrane sounds in them - a membrane (timpani, drum, tambourine, etc.). The timpani is a set of several metal cauldrons of various sizes, covered with a skin membrane on top. The tension of the membrane can be changed by a special device, while the height of the sounds extracted by the mallet changes;
Self-sounding - in these instruments, the sound source is the body itself (cymbals, triangles, castanets, maracas).
Percussion is the most numerous family of musical instruments today. Sound from instruments of this type is extracted by striking the surface of the sounding body. The sounding body can take various forms and be made of various materials. In addition, instead of hitting, shaking is allowed - in fact, indirect blows with sticks, hammers or mallets on the same sounding body.
The history of the appearance of the first percussion instruments
Percussion instruments are among the most ancient. The first prototype of a percussion instrument appeared when primitive people, striking a stone against a stone, created a kind of rhythm for ritual dances or simply in everyday household chores (crushing nuts, grinding grain, etc.).
In fact, any device that produces measured noises can be called a percussion instrument. Initially, these were stones or sticks, planks. Later, the idea came up to tap out the rhythm on the skin stretched over the hollow body - the first drums.
When excavating the settlement sites of the tribes of Central Africa and the Far East, archaeologists discovered samples that were already more similar to modern ones. Obviously, it was they who at one time served as an example for the creation of European percussion instruments.
Functional features of percussion instruments
The sound produced by percussion instruments originated from primitive rhythmic melodies. Jingling and ringing prototypes of modern percussion musical instruments were used during ritual dances by the peoples of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, Asian countries.
But representatives of the ancient Arab states used percussion instruments, in particular drums, in military campaigns. This tradition was adopted by European nations much later. Not rich in melodic terms, but loud and rhythmic, the drums became an invariable accompaniment to military marches and hymns.
And in the orchestra, percussion instruments have found quite a wide application. Initially, they were denied access to European academic music. Gradually, drums found their way into dramatic music within opera and ballet orchestras, and only then did they find their way into symphony orchestras. But today it is difficult to imagine an orchestra without drums, timpani, cymbals, tambourine, tambourine or triangle.
Classification of percussion instruments
The group of percussion musical instruments is not only numerous, but also very unstable. Several different ways of classifying them have been developed, so the same instrument can belong to several subgroups at once.
The most common percussion instruments today are timpani, vibraphone, xylophone; various types of drums, tambourines, African drum tam-tam, as well as a triangle, cymbals, and many others.
